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Korean Academic Society of Business Administration
[ Article ]
korean management review - Vol. 54, No. 6, pp.1563-1592
ISSN: 1226-1874 (Print)
Print publication date 31 Dec 2025
Received 16 Jun 2025 Revised 06 Jul 2025 Accepted 07 Aug 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17287/kmr.2025.54.6.1563

What Drives Smart Tech Choices? Comparing Manufacturing and Service Firms’ Journey into Intelligent IT

Kyu-Sun Choi ; So-Youn Park
(First Author) Ajou University ks92860001@gmail.com
(Corresponding Author) U1 University selly0123@naver.com
최규선 ; 박소연
(주저자) 아주대학교
(교신저자) 유원대학교


Copyright 2025 THE KOREAN ACADEMIC SOCIETY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

This study explores the roles of digital literacy and privacy concerns in shaping the intention to use intelligent information technology (IIT) across the manufacturing and service sectors, a key consideration for digital transformation in contemporary businesses. By surveying 316 mid- to senior-level managers from technology-based companies, split evenly between these two sectors, and employing structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis, this research integrates digital literacy and privacy concerns within the established Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework. The findings reveal that digital literacy (DL) universally and positively influences the intention to use IIT (ITU) in both sectors, though the underlying mechanisms differ significantly. In the manufacturing sector, DL directly influenced ITU. Conversely, digital information sharing lacked a direct effect on ITU but demonstrated a fully mediated effect through perceived usefulness (PU), thereby indirectly influencing ITU. In the service sector, higher DL amplified privacy concerns (PC); this privacy concern negatively moderated the effect of DL on PU, and consequently, PC also negatively moderated the overall impact of DL on ITU through PU. Notably, the effect of perceived ease of use (PEOU) on ITU varies significantly between the sectors. The study concludes that while digital literacy is crucial in both contexts, significant structural differences exist in the relationships among perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, privacy concerns, and the ultimate intention to use IIT. These insights underscore the need for sector-specific strategies to ensure the effective adoption of IIT during digital transformation.

Keywords:

Intelligent Information Technology, Technology Acceptance Model, Digital Literacy, Privacy Concern

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∙ The author Kyu-Sun Choi is an Associate Professor at Technology Commercialization Center Ajou University, South Korea. He holds a Ph.D. in technology management and specializes in ICT, startup policy and technology commercialization. Prior to his academic appointment, He gained practical experience at various government agencies, research institutes, and venture capital entities. His research interests include AI, Startup ecosystem and business innovation strategy.

∙ The author So-Youn Park is an Assistant Professor specializing in entrepreneurship education, small business development, and entrepreneurial resilience at U1 University. She holds a Ph.D. in convergent consulting and has dedicated her academic career to supporting aspiring entrepreneurs.